Life preserver



' May 22, 1928.

H. C. GIBSON LIFE PRESERVER Filed March 25, 1925 FIELII- nvvszvroR HUGH E. E/ES'UN BY Q 3% L ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1928.

FICE.L

I HUGO C. GIBSON, 0F. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

urn rmmvjm Application filed March 25, 1925. serial 110. 18,084.

This invention relates to articles generally known aslife preservers, and that form of life preserver which is attached to the person, and particularly aims to provide such an article forits general. and usual uses, but more particularly foremergencies for which it is peculiarly adapted owing to the. construction andjarrangement of the article, which will appear from a more detailed description and drawings as herein after set forth.

Among its particular objects are the provision of a life preserver that is not in the way, that is, not anencumbrance to the wearer soas not to interfere with any operation of the arms as When Working about boats or aircraft orswimming, to be readily applied, light and. convenient, and among the primary objects, to provide an automatic means for assuring the holding of the breathingorificesabove water in the case;

of unconsciousness or the like, as well as to meet the objects ofdurability, assure the drying-out for reuse, provide acomfortable soft contact with the body and head," and other advantages which will appear from the following.

Particular embodiments of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

Fig. I is a plan view of the life preserver containing my invention, for adults.

Fig. II is a side elevation of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a side elevation of a modified form adapted for use of children.

Fig. IV is a side elevation of a person wearing the device, illustrating the automatic engagement of the parts with the chin to hold the face above water.

In the form shown, a front-buoyant section 1 is adapted to fit against the chest with two rearwardly extending buoyant sections 22 to pass over the shoulders and. join a smaller back buoyant section 3. In the form for adults, the back section has straps H of suitable size to keep their form against the sides under the arms, with tapes 55 at the ends adapted to be tied to the tapes 66 secured to the edges of the front sect-ion 1, so that the tapes may be tied by the adult conveniently on either side of the front chest section.

In the case of the childs form, the front and rear bags and shoulder members are smaller, and on the front or chest bag or section 1, bands 7 are secured of a sufficient length to carry the tapes 6 6 well under the arms or to the rear, where theyare tied to the tapes 5 on the strap or band 4,thus requiring the attachment of the childs size by another person, and thereby positioning the knots or bows sufficiently to the rear to be inaccessible to the child and prevent the child from accidentally or convulsively releasing the life preserver. I

The sections 1, 2 and 3 consist of fabric cases light and quite close woven, but preferably not waterproof for reasons hereinafterappearing. 7-

The cases are filled,'but lightly stuffed with deer hair or kapoc', a well known vegetable fibre, which materials have the quality due to a grease or oily content, of matting down when slightly moist and preventing the water from penetrating the mass, thereby holding the confined air contained in the interstices of the material and providing a buoyant bag or casing unit. IVhen'dryand out of water-these stuffed cases are soft and comfortable and resist shocks from objects, or on impact with the water, as in diving, and at the same time cushioning the impact to protect the body. As the fabric is readily stitched to form the casing, the ordinary stitching cannot readily be made watertight, and as there will always be some water penetration I prefer that the fabric be not watertight, so that after use or immersion, the fabric serves the purpose of permitting the content to readily dry out throughout the surface of all members.

The feature of importance is the secur-r mg of members 22 to the edge of section 1,

so that the junction points 88 are so close together as to catch under the jaws and as sure the edge portion 1 of section 1, engaging under the chin when the buoyancy drives it up the chest in case of any looseness in the attachment to the body, and to automatically keep the head and particularly the breathing orifices of the wearer above water. The said members 2, are furthermore tapered so as to be narrower where they join the back section 3, and provide ample space between so as to readily permit the two shoulder members 2-2 to pass over the head. At the junction of the shoulder mem bers 2-2, with back and front casing, the stitching 99 may be doubled so as to form a thin and flexible portion or hinge so that back and front membersmay be bent readily where hinged to the shoulder members.

' can be made of very durable and light material for the cases, while the packing is very light, and soft and comfortable, and provides an economical buoyant material when so confined, readily dried, and as a complete article it is quickly applied to the person and may be worn for all kinds of activities without interference with physical action, and in emergency assures preserving of a floating condition of the wearerto save him from the excess of water to the nostrils or mouth, even though through accident the wearer may have become unconscious. EXamples of this latter condition have lead to the saving of life in actual experiences by wearers, to such an extent that the features of this invention mentioned, differing from life-preservers of the past, have been the cause of life saving of persons unconscious in the water from motor boat accidents, which would not have been the case with devices heretofore known that could have been used under similar circumstances and with equal convenience.

While variations may be made in the practice of my invention from the particular embodiments herein shown and specifically described, V

' VVha't I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A life preserver comprising generally rectangular fabric bags adapted respectively involuntary dislodgment of the head, and means on the front and rear cases to tie the same at the sides of the body.

2. A life preserver having front and rear buoyant Wider at the front thanthe rear whereby a fixed form of border is formed by the upbags, two elongated shoulder bags per edge of the front bag and the inner sides of the front edges of the shoulder bags for the purpose described, while the greater length than width of shoulder bags permitsflexibility for the passage of the head upon adjustment.

, 3. A life prese'rver having a rear buoyant bag, a front buoyant bag of greater buoyancy, and two elongated buoyant shoulder bags connecting said front and rear bags,

and of greater area at their front than at their rear.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification this 19 day of March, 1925. '1 I I HUGO C. GIBSDN. 

